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Gorvenal of Gath
The Backstory For ages, even since before the Traveller, the Goliath race- a crossbreed between man and giant- has been in constant sway. A few wander the mountains and their surroundings as roving herds, others settle down in the peaks in a tribal, albeit equal existence. Some are enslaved by Giants for generations. Gorvenal, or Gorv, was unlucky enough to be a slave for most his childhood. Born to both an unknown mother and a secretive father, Gorv was an orphan among the rest. He was also lucky enough to be part of the first in his generation to escape. After a fiery insurrection from within the depths of the Highwall Peaks, the once- enslaved tribe, dubbed "The Gath," found their way across the peaks. Some settled in the way of other Goliaths, some wandered off. All wanted to find their place in a world wholly new to them. Gorvenal was not a skilled person. Not to start with, though certainly not to end with. Dejected by his branch of the Gath for refusing to kill without due reason, aside from just some rite of passage, Gorv found himself sitting in the middle of Bugh Lodur, a Dwarven settlement cradled by the Highwalls. Here, he got his first taste of civilization- it's buildings, intricate designs, mines, and social constructs. While taking well to most of the former, the latter continues to confuse him. After the starstruck high of seeing a realm wholly new to him, reality set in. He was an outcast among outcasts here- the spears told him that much. After bumbling through the Common he knew, he managed to convince the town guard that he wasn't a marauding monster. That was one thing Bugh Lodur didn't need more of, considering the horrors of the Underdark their mines had more recently unraveled. But nonetheless, Gorv was alone. The guard might stay off his back, but he'd never fully convince the people of his innocence-with one exception. It was one of the colder nights, which was never welcome when you didn't have a copper piece to your name. The deluge of rain didn't much help either. The lone Goliath wandered the streets of Bugh Lodur, lost in the shadow of the storm, hopelessly seeking shelter. Eventually, as he wandered, Gorvenal saw a light in the distance. While at one point thinking he was potentially dying, walking toward it revealed a house, astounding in size, a warm light pouring through rain flecked windows. Standing outside a while, Gorv eventually noticed a shadow in one of the windows. A Dwarf, staring out at him. Durin was a simple Dwarf. By his standards. But if viewed by anyone else, he could be seen as a madman or a genius, if not both. One of the first in his world aside from the Gnomes to dabble in clockwork and mechanization, Durin Firefist was a pioneer into the realm of engineering. And for one of the first times in his life, he was surprised. He never expected to see a Goliath on his doorstep. Eventually realizing knocking on the door was a thing that normal people did, Gorv knocked on the door. He was greeted by a small, grinning face. Bent on curiosity, Durin introduced himself, and welcomed a rather intriguing stranger into his home. After a nights rest in the first bed Gorv had ever slept in- and the smallest he'd ever sleep in- he met with his host in his living room, and after meeting his wife, who promptly dropped a mug seeing the towering figure, explained his story. Durin, now not only intrigued, but invested, put it upon himself to help. The first order of business, Durin would explain, was finding a job. Blacksmithing was out of the picture pretty fast, as Gorv promptly destroyed the practice blade Durin set up. And not much else would manage to work either- as Gorv and his new acquaintance went from establishment to establishment, and found themselves turned away, either because if a lack of proficiency in their work, or based on race alone. Gorv found himself once again in the gutter, albeit with better maintained pants. After making the mistake of drinking the bar dry, a now intoxicated- and angry- Goliath walked up to a new arrival in the bar, an ornately dressed woman, who revealed herself to be a Bard by trade to the nearby patrons. She'd only just cracked into her own mug, and begun her story, when the shadow of a being thrice her size encroached from behind. Turning slowly, nervously, she cracked a grin at the massive figure she was now faced with. A few around her stepped back, expecting a fight. She started a greeting, incantations hidden within, when he dropped to his knees. Kowtowing, his head nearly touching the floor, he pleaded for a job- and for the first time, got one. He woke up later on, finding she'd accepted... after he'd passed out. Durin led him to the tavern once more, and for the first time in his life, Gorvenal found work he loved- and found skill within that. Not only did he learn the ways of the musician, he learned the true ways of the bard. He learned of the magic within the songs, a magic that he was one of the lucky few able to tap into. And all too soon after he'd graduated from apprenticeship- learning a little bit of everything along the way, his master disappeared. Despite digging around town, even getting into fights to find his prior benefactor, he'd have no such luck. She was gone. Eventually, Gorv realized his destiny lay beyond Bugh Lodur- and ultimately said his farewells to Durin and his spouse, promising to return someday, maybe once he'd found out a bit more about his own past. As such, he left Bugh Lodur, traveling wherever the gods might take him. At the end of his first journeys, Gorv found himself in a wagon, surrounded by a motley crew of adventures he'd never seen prior. The Campaign: Acquaintances Throughout the Jaotis campaign, Gorv made many an ally, some trusted a bit more than others. They, and how he views them, are to be seen below: 1. Durin Firefist (And Torga): "Durin's a true friend- one of the few I can safely say I have. I can't thank him enough for taking me in before, and it was good to see him again more recently. Although, I can't help but feel guilty. I leave, seeking some destiny, and when I finally find it, it takes me back to him- and he's missing an arm. If I'd stayed, I might've helped this place, finally gotten respect in the only home I've truly had. I just hope I don't do any wrong by him." 2. Captain "Davy" Jones (Deceased): "You know, Jones was one of the first people I really trusted in all of this. One of the few sane ones around. We were good friends in the brief time I knew him. Despite him claiming to be a pirate, though, I never really saw it in him. Jamaal, maybe. But aside from the few times he used fear to make his purchases, he was truly the good in the group. It's still hard to recognize that he's... dead. In my dreams and in my head, I just keep reliving those moments before- I was so damn confused. I knew something was up- and I was really just about to ask about it. The next thing I knew, he'd been run through with his own blade, smiling as he looked up at Jamaal. We were all perplexed, terrified. It only really registered with me recently. I could've stopped it. I should've stopped it. But he's dead. And I could have saved a life, if only I'd just thought." 3. Themlin Bjornfeld: "Themlin is somebody I didn't really trust at first. He was a newer addition to our... whatever we are. And now there's this Nuitari shit going on. I just hope his god doesn't mess with my head as much as it's fucked with his. He talks about these dreams all the time- and I've started seeing them too. The last one nearly made me kill the guy's wife! I hoped I could afford to trust him as much as I had. Apparently, I couldn't. I know it's not entirely his fault that... that... happened. But I doubt I'll be trusting him so much again any time soon." 3. Sargonnas: "Fucking insane. But I trust it more than most of these guys. Plus, who doesn't want a Beholder on their side?" 4. Smaug: "This one's... concerning. I still think I can trust him- he's a paladin, right? But it seem's his faith's been shaken- his shield's cracked, and he seems frightened about his god. And the way he regards us- who does he think we are? It's like he expects us to stab him in the back at any second. In some cases, I don't really blame him. The Druid's bat shit crazy (Which I really hope I fixed), but I have to wonder what's made him think this way." 5. Julius Victoria: "If his hatred wasn't so unnerving, I'd trust the guy more. He really, really doesn't like Giants. Concerning the tad of oral history I learned from the storm clouds, my trust for him has dropped. He seems like a pretty good guy otherwise- and he's been good to work with when it comes to drawing out a plan. I'd trust him on my side, but I'm not completely sure that he is." 6. Cerivious Hammond: "The Druid's fuckin weird. He's been a total madman since I met him in that box of a dungeon, and I've only been lucky enough recently to tame him down a bit. Thing is, there seems to be a reason to his insanity- and it's a frightening one. If his Druidic gods are as real as he think's they are- especially this 'Fervich' guy, we all may be doomed. I hope fixing his madness is permanent, because if this guy's gods attack this world, he might be the only one who knows enough about these things to kill them. It certainly doesn't help that we have to dig through the outer planes to pull him back though. Meeting gods is great, but I have my own goals. Nothing- not even deaths- will get in my way again." 7. Tharivol Meliamne: "I don't trust him. At all. Cerivious gets killed, and we do whatever resurrection ritual, and he just shoves everyone in. Everyone. I carved in the dirt no to send anybody else in, and ultimately we all ended up there, most people kicked in by him. Stuck. Gods know if we could've gotten out of that. Sure, we managed to reclaim Cerivious' soul or whatever, but we might've never gotten out of there. And then he opened the gate to us. Maybe I should be more thankful for that. But why should I? Every sign screams not to trust him; he's openly stalked us since Lebrook, so who knows what he's learned of us. What's more, he's a thief. He might've not done too much yet, but he hasn't been afraid to admit his "profession", and I saw him eyeing up Durin's home. And there's even more beyond that- he's not exactly the most charming person. Out of picking his nose, friends, or fights, he's done more of the first and third than the second. He also fired a lethal weapon at somebody over a petty disagreement. If that's all it takes for him to seek to draw blood, he may as well draw it elsewhere. Unless he can manage to somehow truly redeem himself, and honestly, I don't particularly value his company." 8. Jamaal (Location Unknown): "Jamaal. I'd like to say I can still call him a friend. But, somewhere, deep down, I know he's not anymore, at least not to me. When it comes down to it, he killed Jones. And while I was sure he must've regretted it at the time, I've got mixed signals. When I overheard them talking, I had a feeling they might leave- and he was anxious to do so. It hurt him to stay, but if he knew this is what leaving meant for some reason, why in the world would he ever want to leave? And why could he suddenly speak? I know with enough willpower he could often overcome his mental bars, but ignore them altogether? Theres just too much I don't know there- too many questions never to be answered. I pray I never call him an enemy, but I can't trust him enough to call him friend." 9. Melech: "Who the hell is this guy? The spells are cool and all, but who even is he? AND WHY DOES HE HAVE HORNS?" 10. Varis "I never really liked Varis. In all honesty, he was a prick at worst, a shadow at best. Nobody really knew where he came from, much less why he stuck around. But ultimately, it was sticking around that got him killed- and we don't even know how."